Abhira Off-Tracks: Short Stories

The Loss - Part 5

The Loss

"Tum nahi jaante, main nahi jaanta, Kairav, Abhimanyu, koi nahi jaanta Akshu kidhar hai... siwaye ek shaqs ke."

"Kaun?" Manish stood up from his seat, "Manish ji aap jaante haina humare bachhe apna saara kaam chhod ke sirf Akshara ko dhundne mein lage hain? Wahan Manjiri ne Abhimanyu ko kasam mein bandh rakha hai, warna abhi tak Akshara ghar laut aayi hoti. Who is it??"

Manish smiled at him.

"Akshara ka Valentine Day gift."

Harsh stared at him agape.

"Manjiri??" He stood up at once, "Not possible. Jis Manjiri ke pet mein ek baat nahi pachti, usne poori ki poori Akshara ko chhipa liya?"

Manish sighed and went on to explain him all that Manjiri shared with him, the day she had come to meet him. Manjiri had been called by the gharelu doctor she often visited for her desi nuskhas, and the same lady happened to be a jyotshi too. Manjiri had given her Abhi and Akshu's picture to know their future, but the picture in turn had helped Manjiri trace Akshara.

"Kya ajeeb khel kheli hai kismat ne! Manjiri ji ne unhe Akshara aur Abhimanyu ki tasveer de rakhi thi. Meri Akshu ke pyaar ne, anjaane mein bhi, meri bachhi ko humse door nahi hone diya."

Harsh pressed his shoulder.

"Abhimanyu ne pyaar ka farz nibhaya, toh Manjiri ji ne bhi ek Ma ka farz nibhaya. Akshu ko samjhane ki koshish bhi ki, aur uske faisle mein uske saath bhi khadi hai. Bas ek jo apna farz nahi nibha paya, woh main tha."

"Woh chhodiye. I don't understand aap dono ne sabse chhupaya kyun?"

"Kyunki Akshu akele rehna chahti hai, nahi chahti ki koi usey dhoonde." Manish replied. "Akshu ne Manjiri ji pe bharosa kiya hai, Akshu ko wapis bula kar kaise uska bharosa tod doon?"

"Manish ji mere bete ki halat toh dekhiye!" Harsh spoke in slight frustration, "Chahte kya ho aap?"

"Wahi jo sab chahte hain. Harsh ji, hum jo karne wale hain woh Akshu ke liye nahi, Abhimanyu ke liye hi hai." He sighed, "Abhimanyu ki shakal pe saaf dikhta hai, agar usey kuch din aur Akshara nahi dikhi toh yeh ladka marr hi jayega."

Kairav had stormed out of the ward after losing his cool on Bade Papa and immediately regretted his behaviour. This is just not how he could treat someone who survived a heart attack. Walking back and forth for the tenth time, Kairav finally decided to go and apologise for his outburst. He really wanted to know why Harsh uncle and his Bade Papa had shaken hands, and why Harshvardhan Birla had found it better to sit for a chat with Manish Goenka out of anyone else in this Hospital at 3 in the morning.

"Kairav?" Abhimanyu touched his shoulder with a frown on his face, "Sab... theek haina? Soye nahi abhi tak?" he took a confused glance at the door to the ward, "Late night patrolling kyun kar rahe ho?"

Kairav sighed. He held Abhimanyu's hand and pulled him inside the room where Harshvardhan Birla and Manish Goenka sat clacking their tea cups.

Abhi rubbed his eyes. He remembered vaguely donning a glass of methidane ka pani a few hours back instead of his usual shot of black coffee during his night shift.

That could be the reason.

"Abhimanyu?" Harsh stood up in alarm, "Main... bas... ja hi... raha tha."

Abhi put his hands in his pockets and heaved a sigh.

"Sir," Abhi asked Harsh with all the patience he could muster, "raat ke teen baje aap yahan kya kar rahe hain?"